[RE-wrenches] NABCEP is Union Based? That's news to me!

[Bob-O Schultze]

Larry, Aram, etc,
Let me put this as succinctly as I can:
NO FREAKIN' WAY!
I've sat on the NABCEP BoD for many years -almost since it began. I am not an IBEW or NECA member, nor have I ever been. I've had my CA C-10 since 1991 and I've been a NABCEP Certified PV installer since 2003. For many years we had no IBEW or NECA representation at NABCEP, but because we subscribe to the "Big Tent" theory and feel that all the players need a place at the table, we invited both of those organizations to participate in NABCEP some time ago. We are proud that both of them -along with many others- now sit with us and help to make our testing better and more relevant to today's RE markets. The IBEW is a large and very powerful union, but they do not control NABCEP -not even close. As long as I (and others) serve on the Board, they never will.
I'm sorry that you have a problem with our Home Power ad, but we're not backing down or changing it. Do you buy your components through distribution? Your distributor is going to tout their dealers as the best in the biz and they all support Certification. You bitching them out too or just us?
While there are many highly qualified Wrenches who have not yet achieved Certification or don't seek it for whatever reasons, those that have are among the best in the business. Can a Certificant screw up and make a mistake? Sure. Ain't nobody walking on water here. Do we have a very few Certificants who gamed the system and aren't as good as they should be? Probably. Are you going to stop using medical doctors because of a couple of quacks? Same thing.
Certification not for you? Fine. Be well and good luck. 
You might want to consider, however, that Certificants command a better wage or get more jobs than the average installer. While it's hard to accurately put a price on that, our research indicates that Certification adds $10K-$15K a year to an installer's pocket. Certification costs $400. and is good for three years. Do the math.
Peace,
Bob-O


On Feb 6, 2011, at 10:11 AM, Aram Alexander wrote:

No you are not. I have been installing grid tied PV for 10 years in ca.
Nabcep is union based and all though it is good but it does not mean by any means the best as we have to fix several nabcep installed systems.
I personally don't like there advertising either

Aram 

On Feb 6, 2011, at 9:13 AM, wirewiz at gmail.com wrote:

> Hello Wrenches,
> 
> NABCEP has a full page ad in Home Power magazine that tells potential PV buyers to "Insist on a NABCEP Certified Installer". That's a great ad if you are certified but not so good if you are not. I know many of you are but lots of us are not yet certified. 
> 
> NABCEP is doing a great job to ensure that PV is installed by qualified personal but is it their job to unintentionally cause non NABCEP certified installers who are otherwise very qualified to lose business. I don't think so. 
> 
> I contacted NABCEP about the consequences of this ad and actually asked them to stop running it or at least tone it down so it doesn't cause installers like to me to lose business. They disagreed with me.
> 
> Am I being too sensitive here?
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> Larry Liesner
> Wirewiz
> Westport, CT
> Phone: 203-644-2404
> Fax: 203-557-0556
> wirewiz at gmail.com
> www.wire-wiz.com